Lazy B Ranch Beef

Our Lazy B Ranch grass fed beef is healthy and nutritious but what really sells it is the awesome flavor. Locally raised on free range pasture. Dry aged. Delicious! 

Lazybranchbeef@gmail.com 

E-mail Me

Determine Cattle Protein Needs by Cow Patties

Cattle need protein for basic health requirements but it changes with age, pregnancy and seasonally.  My cattle are in their middle trimester now and are mostly eating hay.  My operation is small enough to allow me to be more labor intensive but it allows me to reduce my costs.  I feed round bales of hay but I only feed enough for one day at a time.  The bales can be easily unrolled.  Feeding more than that causes higher hay losses.  The cattle waste hay by stepping on it and even in hay rings it soaks up ground moisture.  I use strip grazing with portable electric fencing to allow 1-2 hours per day of grazing on winter ryegrass.  You can tell by the cow patties if your cattle are getting enough protein.  The more protein they take in, the flatter the patties get.  Patties that are 3-5 inches high are generally enough protein unless the patties are distinctly segmented.  Cattle are often overfed which leads to lower profits.  Maybe this will help you save money on your expenses.

Food Plots

Food plots can greatly increase the nutrition deer get on your hunting property.  Keep in mind that they can devastate your plants before they become established.  Areas planted must be big enough to withstand intense grazing pressure or they need to be protected.  I've had good results with electric fencing if done properly.  I do consulting through my Deer Man Consulting. You can follow me on Facebook at Deer Man Consulting 

• Forage soybeans produce more leaf tonnage than crop beans. 
• Eagle Seed in Arkansas developed a forage soybean mix.  These beans can grow to over 6 feet high and have over 40% leaf protein.    Game Keeper RR is a custom, blend containing both forage types, climbing soybean, and soybean varieties that are tall, high yielding
  and broadly adapted for your geography. The blend
  features varieties which mature at different times
  and allow the deer to feed on both mature
  soybean and green leaf tissue. You will get
  high tonnage, excellent browse tolerance
  and great seed yield all in one bag.  http://www.eagleseed.com/forage.html

Our Bucks are Cookie Hogs

This is Mudbug and his dad, Rambeaux.  They love coming up to get their cookie fix.  My wife was throwing cookies and kept hitting Mudbug.  He walked up to the fence as if to say, "Please quit throwing them and just put them in my mouth"!

Genetic EHD Resistance of Southern vs. Northern Whitetails

Are Southern Deer Genetically More EHD Resistant?

by Charles “Deer Man” Black

Whitetail Rack Ranch

 

 I keep seeing ads about 'buy my deer because they are EHD resistant southern deer'. Everyone can have an opinion on something but when it's controversial sometimes people get a little overzealous in their arguments. I'm a scientist, not a mad scientist, and not one in a lab with bubbling bottles but I have a Bachelor of Science degree as a wildlife biologist and studied deer behavior for two master’s degrees. That doesn't make me smarter than anyone else but that much education does cause your mind look at things a little differently and helps in understanding scientific data.

For this article, EHDV stands for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus and BTV stands for Blue Tongue Virus.

 In a scientific study, all variables not being manipulated for research should be controlled. For example, if I had two groups of deer in my study to determine if protein supplements produced bigger antlers and one group was my 'control' that didn't receive the supplement but they had a food plot with high protein beans and the group that received the supplement had Bermuda grass, then it wouldn't be a good scientific study because the variables in the food plot would make the study inaccurate.

 A lot of what you hear about deer health and what works is anecdotal evidence. Anecdotal evidence is not scientific in nature. For example, if I put vanilla extract in my deer water and they never got EHDV/BTV then vanilla being a prevention for the viruses would be anecdotal evidence. They may go one or several years without getting the viruses without any treatment.  It doesn’t prove that vanilla extract helps with virus prevention.  The study would have to be set up within the strict guidelines of a scientific study to yield reliable results.

The 'Facts' that you hear about EHD resistance in deer is often anecdotal. You may have heard someone say, “I bought some northern deer and put them in pens with my southern deer.  When EHD hit, most of my losses were the northern ones.  That proves that my southern deer are genetically superior to northern ones for EHD resistance.”  They have no true evidence to back that up.  I hope that I can clear up some myths about EHDV/BTV resistance by giving factual evidence from scientific research. 

Research was conducted at the University of Georgia (Gaydos et. al., 2002) to determine the influence maternal antibodies have in resistance to hemorrhagic diseases in white-tailed deer.  Twelve Texas fawns were moved from an outdoor facility in TX to an indoor facility at the University of Georgia.  All of the fawns tested positive for EHD/BT antibodies which means they had resistance.  EHD and BT have different serotypes, like ‘strains’ of flu.  The tests were positive if antibodies were present for any of the serotypes.  It’s highly unlikely that antibodies would be present for all serotypes.  At 18 weeks of age they no longer tested positive for the antibodies.  There were 40 fawns remaining at the TX outdoor facility ranging in age from 14 to 21 weeks of age that were also tested.  They found that 98% in the outdoor facility still had antibodies to EHD and/or BT.  The study concluded that there was strong evidence showing the fawns in the indoor facility had initial antibodies from passive influence from the mothers.  Evidence showed the fawns raised outdoors in TX with the initial passive immunity from the mothers allowed the fawns to survive exposure to the virus and build their own immunity.  The fawns at the indoor facility in GA had no such exposure and therefore lost antibodies after the passive immunity from their mothers had declined.  These fawns came from the same group in Texas.  The only difference was exposure or no exposure.  If the theory that TX deer are genetically resistant to the viruses was true, then they should still have shown antibodies when tested. 

A much earlier study (Hoff et. al, 1974) was conducted in Texas in an area of prevalent BTV from 1963 to 1972.  When tested, the neonatal fawns (birth to 2 weeks of age) had 93% that were positive for antibodies for BT, only 36% of juveniles were positive and 89% of adults were positive.  Antibodies decreased from birth to 12 months of age but increased after 12 months of age.  Again, this shows that fawns from mothers that have antibodies get passive resistance but lose the passive resistance after a couple of months and begin to build their own immunity.  The juveniles’ positive response for antibodies ranged from a low of 0% in some years to 77% in another year.  No response would indicate they never had exposure after the passive immunity had diminished. 

The fluctuation in antibody presence in the juveniles is consistent with my theory that regardless of northern vs. southern, deer must have exposure to build immunity.  The cyclic nature of EHDV and BTV would produce naïve young animals in some years. If a severe outbreak doesn’t occur for 3 years, all of those deer up to 2 years of age are highly susceptible to the viruses. 

If it were true that southern deer were genetically immune to the EHD/BT viruses, then age after passive immunity and conditions of exposure or non-exposure shouldn’t matter.  These studies show that southern deer from Texas lose immunity without exposure.  Passive immunity is derived through the placenta or through the immunoglobins in the colostrum of the mother’s milk.  Semen does not contribute to passive immunity.  There are areas in the South where EHD/BT viruses seem to occur with less severity.  More likely, it’s in an area where exposure is common from year to year.  Fawns may get the virus but their passive immunity allows them to better handle the disease when they are exposed as fawns and the exposure builds their own immunity.  Symptoms may be subclinical (symptoms aren’t obvious) if they have passive immunity as fawns.  This may lead one to believe that their deer never get the virus when they actually must get it to produce their own antibodies. 

If the animals were EHD resistant because they were from the south and it was in their genetics, then the EHD antibodies would have been there after weaning for both groups. The argument that if you buy northern deer and move them to the south, they won't survive isn’t true. I’ve raised hundreds of pure northern genetics deer in Louisiana. Did I lose many when I moved them here? You bet. I got sick of going out and dragging dead deer out of the pens. The southern resistance guys will say that mine died because they weren't EHD resistant or weren't used to our insects or other diseases. I agree in part, but.....when deer are handled, they are stressed. If they are darted they are stressed even more. A study in South America on red deer showed lack of immune response 30-40 days after tranquilization. Hauling deer in a trailer for 20+ hours adds to the stress level they already have. Then you dump them out in foreign surroundings often mixed with deer that start pecking order fights. They are put abruptly on new feed. It's no wonder so many die. And stress doesn't just last 2-4 weeks. Some studies indicate that stress related illnesses can occur up to a year later.  I learned to greatly diminish death losses of northern deer that have been newly translocated to the South and have had much better success.

Another study by the University of Georgia (Gaydos et al., 2002) was conducted to determine if there is an advantageous innate resistance to EHD in southern deer compared to northern ones.  Fawns were chosen from Pennsylvania and Texas.  The fawns were moved to an indoor facility in Georgia by 2 weeks of age.  The fawns were tested for antibodies to EHDV/BTV.  The PA fawns tested negative for antibodies while the TX fawns tested positive for antibodies. 

Five fawns from each group were experimentally infected with the virus.  All 5 from the PA group died from the viruses and all 5 of the TX fawns survived even though the TX fawns did become infected.  The researchers acknowledged that they failed to prove that the TX group was innately more resistant but stated that the study does indicate that animals from some areas have better resistance than animals in other areas.  This research suggests that the fawns brought from PA didn’t have resistance and didn’t survive because they came from an area that didn’t provide exposure to the viruses.  The PA fawns were at a disadvantage, not because of their genetics, but because they had no immune response because they hadn’t been exposed nor had their mothers in PA. 

The mistake people make is interpreting the results to mean that Texas deer are genetically more resistant to EHDV/BTV.  Another study should be done by taking pure northern animals that have been in the south for several generations and comparing them to the native southern animals in the same pen. 

Northern deer moved to the South will likely be low in resistance.  Since EHDV/BTV is cyclic, a naïve deer (one that has never been exposed) may need several years to gain enough exposure to build immunity.  That’s where northern deer get a bad reputation.  They typically have a higher death rate those first few years.

 I believe that moving northern deer south will result in some deaths. Minimizing stress through proper handling will increase survival rates. Bringing feed from their place of origin and gradually changing the ratio of new/old feed will be less stressful. Pen size changes can cause stress as well as being introduced to new animals.  Your veterinarian can recommend a prophylactic antibiotic program for prevention of early disease problems like shipping fever in cattle after moving. Anything to mitigate the changes and stress that results from it will increase survival rates.

 As for EHD, I believe that northern deer can survive very well in the south. They must have some exposure to the virus. There will be deaths at first. But, I know of many pure southern deer that have died from EHD. Ask a biologist from any southern state when there is a bad epidemic of EHD or BT. Native deer are dying in the woods.  Louisiana State University has southern white-tailed deer in their research facility that die in large numbers during severe EHD/BT virus outbreaks.  One of my customers in Louisiana does a controlled burn on his hunting property every year and has 100% southern deer.  He said it’s incredible how many skeletons he finds after a bad EHD/BT year when the undergrowth has been burned away and exposed all the deer that had died.  I have another Louisiana customer that is very happy with his 100% big-bodied northern bucks that I sold him for breeders in his hunt pen (see photo).  They have those big, heavy, massive northern antlers.  The bucks have been in his hunt pen for two breeding seasons next to crawfish and rice ponds and swamps that are ideal for raising the midges that cause EHD.  The bucks will be six years old this year.  They were born and raised at my ranch in Louisiana. They lived through some very bad EHD years.

 If you move northern deer south, just prepare for higher death rates. Once they get past that first year they do much better. The offspring in future generations don't know the difference. The advantages of northern bloodlines are worth what we went through initially. If you don't want that heartache and stress, buy northern bloodlines from someone who has suffered through it and has the strongest survivors.  Buying northern genetics has its risks but there are also many advantages that they can add to your program.  Why would so many Texas ranches have northern influence if it caused their deer to die from EHD?  The semen from northern bucks isn’t diluting the antibodies in the northern-cross offspring because the fawns only get the initial passive immunity from their mother.

EHD and BT viruses are killers no matter where the deer are from when outbreaks are severe.  Texas has some great deer.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with including their genetics in your program.  But you’ll be disappointed if you think you will get EHDV/BTV resistance from using their semen.  If you buy a 100% Texas doe and bring her to Minnesota, she may have permanent immunity to one or more of the serotypes because of her past exposure.  The best that she can offer her offspring is a couple of months of passive immunity when they are born.  By late summer the passive immunity begins to rapidly diminish so they will still very likely get EHDV/BTV if they are exposed later in life.

By all means use Texas genetics if they have the physical traits you desire.  Likewise, don’t be afraid to use northern genetics in the South for the same reason.  Just remember to look at the science and not the hype if you are considering breeding a certain way because you think it will guarantee EHDV/BTV resistance.

 

 

LITERATURE CITED

Gaydos, Joseph K., David E. Stallknecht, Darrell Kavanaugh, Robert J. Olson, and Eugene R. Fuchs.  2002.  Dynamics of Maternal Antibodies to Hemorrhagic Disease Viruses (Reoviridae: Orbivirus) in White-tailed Deer.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38(2): pp. 253-257.

Hoff, G. L., D. O. Trainer, and M. M. Jochim.  1974.  Bluetongue virus and white-tailed deer in an enzootic area of Texas.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 10: 158-163.

Gaydos, Joseph K., David E. Stallknecht, Darrell Kavanaugh, Robert J. Olson, and Eugene R. Fuchs.  2002.  Innate Resistance to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease in White-tailed Deer.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 38(4): pp. 713-719.

 

Food Plots may limit EHD deaths

EHD and Food Plots

My theory of using Sudan in my food plots to limit exposure to Culicoides and therefore exposure to the EHD/BT viruses seems to be showing strong evidence at LSU.  The university started testing the theory with research last year.  Sudan and other plants give off CO2 and Octanol at night like mammals do.  The gnats, like mosquitoes, are primarily sugar feeders.  Only females seek blood meals and only during the time they are maturing the eggs they are carrying.  They find us for blood meals by following the trail of CO2 and Octanol we emit.  Since my Sudan gives this off too, it is likely that deer bedded in the food plots with tall thick biomass are 'hidden' from the insects. 

I noticed the behavioral change in 2012 when we had a severe EHD outbreak.  The only pen that I had Sudan in was my buck breeder pen.  At night my bucks had been sleeping outside of the Sudan along the fence in Bermuda grass.  About the time EHD hit us, the bucks all started bedding inside the Sudan at night.  That was a complete change of behavior that I found dramatic.  I lost large numbers of deer to EHD before I found the right dosage of Dexamethasone.  Deer died in all of my pens on both sides of the breeder buck pen but I didn’t lose any in the buck pen.  I asked Dr. Lane Foil at LSU about the Sudan and at first he said he hadn’t really thought about anything like that.  Later he contacted me and said he thought I might be on to something. 

They planted Sudan in 2013 and the initial results of the insect trapping showed dramatically lower numbers inside the Sudan with much higher numbers in traps outside the Sudan.  They will spend more time and greater detail studying the effects of Sudan on insect exposure this year.  It’s something to consider for not only our breeder pens but also in hunting preserves, whether high fenced or not.  Planting strips of Sudan along the edges of food plots may offer an escape from biting insects for all deer.

Hope this helps save some of your deer.  It’s easy.

Charles ‘Deer Man’ Black

How much do deer eat?

Deer in the wild weighing 150 lbs. will eat on average 10-12 lbs per day of forage.  That would amount to more than 1 large round bale of hay from April through September.  Southern deer will eat more in the winter than Northern deer for the same body size. I raise 100% Northern deer in Louisiana.  My does eat feed at the rate of 1.5-2 lbs./hd/day in winter and 4-5 lbs./hd/day in summer with some available forage. Their metabolism slows in winter.  In the far North there is less food available in winter.  The lower metabolism allows them to survive on less food.

I've been on breeders properties where the deer have no access to anything that isn't fed in a trough.  I like mine to have some browse to supplement their feed.  Natural browse is impossible to duplicate in a feeder. In winter my deer get alfalfa hay.

Food plots can provide highly nutritious browse.  I'll have a combination of wheat/oats/ryegrass in my pens in winter.  If your pens can withstand the grazing pressure, a good choice to add to my combination is clover and winter peas.  My stocking rate limits my plant choices.  In summer I usually plant a sweet Sudan.  It grows to about 6' and has a fairly a decent protein content.  An added benefit that I believe the deer get from Sudan is when they bed in it there are less insects biting the deer.  This is very important during EHD/BT season.  Other good warm weather choices that I've had success with in pens with lower stocking rates are chicory, clover, iron and clay cow peas, etc.  Depending on soil type soybeans may work better.  Any of the legumes that your property can grow will be a very good choice.

I have a custom blended feed fed free choice.  My deer will still stand on their back legs to eat leaves and twigs on the trees.  They like the feed but they are browsers.  They like variety of food choices.  They can survive on everything coming from a feed trough but it's not their preference.  If you can plant enough to keep up with the grazing pressure, legumes are a very good choice.

Our bucks have started losing their antlers.  Since the first of February, half of our younger bucks have lost theirs.  Some people use a hormone to cause the antlers to fall off early, thinking that the antlers will start growing back quicker.  Since day length causes the pituitary gland to produce the necessary hormones to begin new growth, I don't believe early loss of antlers causes growth to start sooner.  If there is a problem with the bucks carrying their antlers much too long, then a hormone treatment may help.  I just hate to try manipulating hormone levels.  I'd rather have the growth begin naturally.

This is a buck we sold to a customer for his hunting preserve over a year ago.  He wanted it for a breeder to improve his genetics.  He has thrived and grown bigger.  He's been there for 2 breeding seasons.  The customer said he has only lost 1 doe over the years from the all that he's purchased from me and that one was shot by mistake by a hunter.  I'm very happy to see how hardy our deer are when they are released on the large properties.  We work hard to produce deer with high survival rates.  While our death losses may be higher than producers that eliminate insects, our survivors are tough!

Mudbug, a Rambeaux son, is one of the prettiest bucks we've raised.  He's not the largest but he should produce the perfect deer hunters are looking for.  We're excited to put him in our breeding program.  Contact me for does bred to him or his dad, Rambeaux.

Mudbug at 3 in 2013

Rambeaux finished out very nice for 2013.  I'll be selling does bred to him and his son Mudbug.  Contact me for details.


Rambeaux at 5 yrs old

Rambeaux on 5/18/2013

Rambeaux
Picture taken 5/18/2013
24 points so far

Dixiebelle, our pygmy goat, pushing me in a wagon

Dixiebelle likes to push.  When I'm in my shop mixing feed for our deer she will push me all over the shop in a wagon.  She's a little goat but she's strong!! 

Article on Dexamethasone for EHD in Deer

I have an article coming out in June in the North and South edition of the Deer Breeder Gazette.  I hope the article will help save lives of some whitetails by explaining how I use dexamethasone for EHD.  Get your vets involved by sharing the article with them.  If you don't get the publication contact Donna Boy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/donna.boy.9/about

Whitetail Does for Sale in Louisiana

Selling Louisiana does live bred to VooDoo and Rambeaux. 

Rambeaux



Rambeaux

We will have a few does for sale.  We have concentrated on genetics to produce big typicals with great main frames.  You can see the results by the bucks that are pictured here.  These are our 2012 4-yr olds.   Only 2 scored under 200”.    Our does with these type genetics won’t last long. They are survivors to a very bad EHD year for us. All of our deer had long-term exposure and the survivors are the strongest and most resistant of our herd. These does were born at our ranch or have been here at least 5 yrs.  (click on a picture for a better view)

 

Our other 4-yr olds

 

Finding Shed Antlers - Whitetails

I've been raising whitetails for a number of years.  I've learned a lot about deer behavior by having the close contact.  I'm a wildlife biologist and I studied deer behavior for 2 masters degrees.  Even tame deer exhibit behavior like deer in the wild.  I get questions about shed antlers often in the winter.  Most antlers on my deer in Louisiana are cast in January and February.  My deer are all from northern states like Minnesota and Indiana. I've found antlers in mid-December but those are unusual.  Some of those bucks had obvious illness in the summer or early fall.  The illness may affect their hormone production causing antler to drop early.

 I've found them different places. Often, they are just out in the open. Sometimes in the woods or tall grass but not a particular habitat. You'll find the most where they spend the most time. I found one about 4' up in a tree once. He evidently rubbed it and hooked it on a branch. I've had them fall off while standing within touching distance. Sometimes it makes a ripping sound like tearing paper when it comes off. I've seen them fall off without the deer shaking his head or making sudden movements. Fairly often both sides will be together like he took them off and set them on the ground. Others may carry the other side for weeks.

Get Your Does on Shock Effect Conditioner

Get your does started on Shock Effect Conditioner to make sure they are in top shape for fawning.

Get Your Bucks on Shock Effect Enhancer

As soon as your bucks drop their antlers get them on Shock Effect Enhancer.  Get the probiotics, weight gain, and blood flow enhancer going early to get a jump on antler growth.

Max Factor Semen For Sale

Max Factor scored 260" on his solid 7x8 main frame in 2012 and 360" gross.  He was 27 3/4 inches wide. 

 

Max Factor was a hit at the 2013 Top 30 sale.  Seeing his antlers in person caused quite a few jaw dropping expressions.  Contact me by commenting on this post for semen pricing.

LOOK AT THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE PEDIGREE!
This is Double Flees Green 36!
Green 36 is the sire to 500+ Walks New Image and the sire to 500+ King of the Mountain's Mother.
King of the Mountain scored 523 4/8 and is 1st Place at NADeFA this year.

Max Factor:
Built for Production with Maxbo over the great Flees line of does!
Add Maxbo on top of these does and you get!
Production! Production! Production!

This foundation produces well!! Take a look at the stats: 

 

G110 BB
G110 womb sister (G112) is the grandmother to Battle Ridge’s Mobster

(291”@3, 230” Main Frame) Mobster is one of the largest framed 3 year olds ever. G110 + G112 are the infamous BB Does, they are Little Boomer daughters and some of the best producing does on the Flees Farm.

Dolly Y 10
Dolly is the Dam to Flees Rocky (400”+ @ 5) and Showtime (359” @2, 60points). She is one of the best producing does on the Flees farm. She has 5 sons; they score 230”@5, 269”@4, 404”@5, 230+@3, and 359”@2.Flees Primetimes (308” @3, 27 Inside Spread) mother is a full sister to Dolly!! Dean Borntrager has the twin sister to Primetime's mom. She has been a great producer for Dean.

Y0290
She is the Dam of Levi Weavers Road Runner (283”@4, 6x6 mainframe, and 24” inside spread).

Twizzler
She has produced 4 sons over 200” by the age of three, she is also the mother of Willy Swareys Palmwood (250 3/8” @ 2) and Will Ainsworths Déjà vu. (350+” @4). Lester Byler now owns déjà vu, he bought it from Will in the summer of 2011

Pretty Girl
This is Flees Green 36 Womb Sister! She has three sons over 240”. Green 36 has produced some giants such as New Image (500+inches) King of the Mountain (523 4/8") grandson, Reggie (294”@4) and 36 Special (261”@ 2).

Bred Does For Sale

Great Does bred to Great Bucks.
We have does live bred to Rambeaux and VooDoo.  Does will all be at least 250" genetics.  Our genetic lines produce big balanced main frames that are mostly typical with some kickers, stickers and splits to give higher scores and a little more interest.  In 2012, 80% of our 4-yr old bucks were over 200", including Rambeaux over 300".  Contact me for details on the does we have for sale.  These are pictures of the bucks we bred with. 

Rambeaux
300"+ at 4 yrs old

Rambeaux
300"+ at 4 yrs old

VooDoo
200"+ 10 pt.huge main frame @ 4 yrs old
VooDoo is a High Roller (418") grandson

EHD Hoof Damage

One of the problems seen after EHD is hoof damage often showing up months later. EHD causes swelling and sometimes it affects the hooves. This is Pixie, one of our favorite bottle fed does. She had EHD the worst of any I've saved. She had frothy blood coming from her mouth. The megadose Dexamethasone saved her in my opinion. She started having trouble walking in October. Now she's walking ok but you can see deep cracks in her overgrown hooves. They will slough off as the new hoof pushes it away.

Dexamethasone and EHD in Whitetails

I’ve spent many hours researching Dexamethasone over the last couple of years.  Most of my time involved the search for how dex might benefit us in the deer industry with EHD.  Please consult your veterinarian before trying any of the following drugs and dosages.  Also note that using Dexamethasone in pregnant does can cause abortions.  In pregnant does, a small dose of 0.25 ml of Banamine may be a better choice.  I’d personally prefer to lose the fawns and save the doe with dex than take a chance on losing the doe and fawns by not using dex.

EHD, short for Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, is a viral disease that infects certain animals including white-tailed deer.  The virus causes inflammation, swelling, fever, internal hemorrhage and significant damage that can result in serious secondary infections.  The virus often results in death. 

Like many in the industry, my protocol was Draxxin and Banamine.  The year 2011 was a very bad EHD year.  What we saw in many of the deer that died in Texas and other states was considerable GI tract damage.  Banamine is irritating to the GI tract so it is no longer the drug of choice for the fever and inflammation caused by EHD because it exacerbates the damage.  Dexamethasone has similar effectiveness for reducing fever and inflammation.  Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid which is produced normally in the body.  As a steroid, it has other advantages over Banamine.

My wife, Annette, is an asthmatic.  She has taken dex for severe asthma.  I started researching human uses of dex.  If an asthmatic has a viral infection in the lungs, dex is given because it has been shown to stop the virus from replicating.  I’ve found numerous articles that stated this fact.  EHD is a different virus but I was intrigued with the possibility that dex may work for it.  Dex has also been used to stop brain hemorrhage.  Since EHD is a hemorrhagic disease causing internal hemorrhage, it made sense to me that it might be beneficial.

The problem with using dex is that the concentration (mg/ml) is low and giving a dose to a grown deer takes a large volume.  I discussed dosage problems with my veterinarian and asked him if it could be compounded to a stronger concentration.  He checked and let me know that it could be.  Most dex that veterinarians carry is either 2 mg/ml or 4 mg/ml and is either in a propylene glycol or sodium phosphate base.  The dex sodium phosphate (Dex SP) acts quicker but lasts less time than the propylene glycol.  Dex SP is easier to concentrate.

I chose to use dex SP at a 12 mg/ml concentration.  I wanted a strength that I could use in a 2cc dart for remote delivery.  The SP is also thinner so delivery in a dart is easier.  I experimented with different combinations and strengths.  My veterinarian is very good about working with me to try something new when standard protocols don’t work.  I used dex in combination with different antibiotics like Draxxin, Exceed, Baytril and Nuflor.  My vet recommended using an antibiotic with the dex since dex is an immunosuppressant.  The general opinion is that since dex suppresses the immune system, an antibiotic should be given with it as a prophylactic to prevent infections.

I used about 80 darts for drug delivery during the EHD season of 2012.  My veterinarian initially suggested a decreasing dose program for dex.  I started by using 12 mg dex on day one then cutting the dose in half for the next 3 days.  12 mg on day 1, 6 mg on day 2, 3 mg on day 3 and 1.5 mg on day 4.  I gave antibiotics on day 1 and followed up if needed on day 4.  After many combinations, I finally found the best success was using a single 48 mg dose of dex SP without the use of antibiotics.  The following is why I think I was experiencing success with that final dosage. 

Smaller doses of dex will control fever and inflammation in general.  I wasn’t having success at the lower doses so I continued increasing them.  Even when I started using an initial 48 mg dose, decreasing over the next 3 days and combining this with antibiotics, I was having some success but not enough to satisfy me.  The single 48 mg dose without antibiotics worked best.  High doses may last longer and decrease more gradually than multi-day doses.  For instance, Baytril used for cattle calls for a multi-day dose of 1.1-2.3 ml/100 lb daily for 3 days.  A single dose of 3.4-5.7 ml/100 lb can be used instead of multi-day doses.  By using the higher dosage it takes longer to metabolize the drug and therefore stays in the body longer.

I believe that the higher dose finally was enough to stop the virus from growing as found in asthmatics.  The success may also be due to the immunosuppressive quality of the dex.  I had been trying to counteract the immunosuppression of the immune system caused by dex by giving prophylactic antibiotics.  I had also been giving decreasing dosages over a total of 4 days to gradually reduce the amount being used and wean the animal off more slowly.  Then I learned about the effects of an overactive immune system.

Cytokines are present in a normal animal’s body.  They are triggered by an antigen like a virus to send immune cells to the site of infection.  One problem with an antigen like the EHD virus is that it can cause an over responsive action of the cytokines known as a cytokine storm.  In a cytokine storm, an overabundance of immune cells is sent to fight the infection resulting in normal healthy cells being destroyed.  The immune system is actually killing the animal.  In the case of pneumonia, a cytokine storm can send so many immune cells to the lungs that it can actually cause the animal to die of suffocation. 

I believe, without the scientific evidence of EHD in deer to back me up, that Dexamethasone works.  The dex stops the virus and/or suppresses an overactive immune system.  We need more scientific research but without it we have to be innovative in searching for new ways to fight the disease until a vaccine or other solution is found.  I’ve talked to people all over the nation suggesting they try the high dose of dex and the ones who tried it had good results also.  Not all vets are open-minded.  Someone in Oklahoma told me his vet wouldn’t even order the strong concentration of dex for him.  If we’re losing large numbers of animals with current therapies, we must try something different.  I hope that this long description of my results using Dexamethasone therapy for EHD in white-tailed deer helps others.  I’ll remain open-minded as well.  We need to continue to share information so that we can all learn from each other’s experience.

Charles DeerMan Black

200"+ Bucks for Sale

I only have 3 more bucks for sale, all over 200". Let me know if you're interested. They won't last much longer.

Bobwire estimated 202"

Sarge estimated 214"

Winchester estimated 203"

X-Factor Semen $2000

X-Factor Semen on Sale $2000/straw We are running a special on X-Factor semen. Just $2000/straw. That's for a buck that scored 500"+ 3 years in a row!!! Reply to this post for details.

Semen Special!!! Buy 5 straws for $2500 or 15 straws for $5000. You can mix and match from a group of bucks. On the 5-straw package no more than 2 straws from any one buck and on the 15-straw package no more than 4 straws from any one buck. Choose from bucks like 506" Gold Dust, Fear Factor, Max Factor, Geyser, True Blue, Rocky Factor 500"+, Level King and various other incredible up and coming bucks. Contact me to secure yours for this breeding season. X-Factor semen is as low as $2500/straw. Incredible for a buck that has consistently scored high, over 500" 3 yrs in a row!!!

Deer Man Consulting

I offer consulting for the deer industry through my Deer Man Consulting. The best choice is for an onsite evaluation. This starts at $500 plus expenses. I wish I'd had the opportunity to get advice before getting started. It could have saved some costly mistakes. Let me know if I can help.

Louisiana Buck For Sale

This buck is for sale for the Fall of 2012. He should score in the 190s and as you can see his extreme width makes him very desirable to hunters. His body is huge. He's tall, long and heavy. He's the biggest bodied buck we have. Contact me for details.

How to Keep Deer from Being Afraid of Darting

Make Darting Deer Easier I pulled a dead doe and dead fawn out today. More EHD. Getting used to the stench of death. Darted 7. One young buck comes up for cookies. I darted him out the front door with it barely cracked open after I through him a pile of cookies. As a note for those who dart, everyone knows how difficult it can be to dart multiple times. Even others in the pen start to get nervous. I like to shoot from inside the truck with the gun propped low on the door frame in an open window. As soon as I dart I start throwing cookies. Often the darted deer comes up with the dart still hanging out to eat them. I get out with the gun while they are eating so they can see it while they are getting treats. I studied deer behavior for two masters degrees and that education included studies on many animal behaviors. I took two courses on training horses through behavior modification. Darting is a negative stimulus. Feeding cookies is a positive one. Feeding cookies after darting reinforces a positive influence that will help override the negative one. I'm getting plenty of practice but I'd like for it to be over!!!

Consulting is Satisfying

I did some consulting this week for a family planning to start a deer breeding and hunting business. We went over many issues such as pen location and design. The reason for the design to promote smooth flow when moving the deer in the breeding pens. Other issues discussed were health, behavior, death loss, fawn additions, etc. We looked at a 4-yr outlook to determine what the outcome should be based on the first year investment. Even with the realization of death losses it was wonderful to see the excitement in their eyes. I hope I will always provide an honest assessment of my client's goals but instill in them the love of working with these awesome animals.

Consulting for the Deer Industry

I offer consulting service for the deer industry. Topics include: Handling facilities Pen design Behavior How to handle deer Health EHD/BT Nutrition

Does bred to 500" genetics for sale

We will have some does bred to 500" genetics this year. The does are out of some lines that have produced very nice mid-200" main frame typicals. Adding 500" genetics will increase the inches while maintaining some very nice mainframes. Contact me to put down a deposit to hold them. Delivery can be arranged.

EHD Continues to Gain Ground in Research Importance

I met a young woman at the TDA convention who is working on her Ph, D . She is taking on a big task in the big state of Texas. Her research will determine the distribution of the Culicoides. She has a daunting job but it shows that EHD is continually getting more attention. I put her in contact with Dr. Lane Foil at LSU. Dr. Foil is an expert veterinary entomologist with a long background in work with the Culicoides. Good news for all of us in the deer industry.

Dart Location for Whitetails for Drug Delivery

This is an ideal location for dart impact on a deer. Good muscle mass to absorb the impact. Good blood supply for drug uptake. More margin for error.

Darting deer with more than one drug using 2 darts

You're not supposed to mix drugs even though some seem to work well. Did you know you can piggy back darts? Put the first dart in with one drug then stick the next one behind it with a different drug. I learned this from Keith Amass DVM, founder of Safe Capture International.  You'll have to practice playing around with pressures to see what your POI will be. The second dart will likely be slightly lower than the first. That's a lot better than shooting a deer with one dart then trying to get close enough for the next.  If you're treating for EHD, you could use a compounded Dexamethasone strong enough to put in a small dart and then follow that with a second dart of antibiotics.

EHD Research Funding for Louisiana State University

LSU is conducting extensive research on EHD and how the vector Culicoides sp. causes the virus to infect whitetails.  This work is extremely important to deer breeders and sportsman alike because large numbers of deer can die from EHD and Blue Tongue each year whether they are in breeding operations or in the wild.  The deaths in the wild may go largely unnoticed because when a deer is sick it seeks out dense cover to hide in.  If they die there, within days the carcass is reduced to bones in the heat of summer.  In the fall during hunting season the remains would seldom be discovered.

LSU has taken a different approach to their research at their newly established Wildlife Institute.  Vaccines produced so far have been largely unsuccessful.  Instead of culturing the virus from infected deer to produce a vaccine, they will determine why the virus doesn't infect the deer if injected into them.  For the deer to become infected it seems that the gnat has to bite them.  They believe that there may be a component of the saliva that is triggering something that allows the virus to become infectious in the animal.  If they can isolate what causes the infection, they can produce a vaccine that can be challenge-tested.  If successful, this may be the first vaccine that is actually effective in controlling these devastating diseases.  If a vaccine can be produced and made for oral use, it may prove to be very important in preventing catastrophic deaths in the wild.

Any sportsman that loves the whitetail and wants to keep a healthy population to hunt should be interested in this new research.  If you know of anyone, a company or organization that can help with funding please contact me and I'll get you in touch with someone at LSU that will be happy for the assistance.  Their research facility will not be a fancy new building.  Their money will go to staff and equipment.  It will not be wasted.  They have been very eager to work with our Whitetails of Louisiana organization.  We hope to form a close working relationship with them because we see first hand how devastating this disease is.  Thanks for your interest in this new era of EHD research.

EHD research on the Culicoides sp. midge

I'm trapping insects every 2 weeks until it freezes for the summer and fall of 2012 at our Whitetail Rack Ranch for LSU.  LSU established a new Wildlife Institute under their Ag Dept and will be doing intensive EHD research.  If you have information on which species of the Culicoides are in your area at various times of the year and which serotype of EHD or BT please let me know.  The data will be valuable to their study.  They have suggested that the reason the current vaccines are not very effective is that there is a component that is yet undiscovered causing the infectious stage of the virus.  LSU has injected the pure virus into deer without them getting sick.  Culicoides biting the deer does get them sick.  They believe there is something going on with the insect that causes the infection.  It could be a component of the saliva.  A breakthrough in what triggers the virus to become infectious will be a huge step towards producing a vaccine that can be challenge tested.  If it works, we can all benefit from an effective vaccine.  I'll be happy to forward information to them but it has to be EHD cases that have been verified through a diagnostic lab.  Thanks!!!

Buck attitudes changing in early August

Seeing a very subtle change in attitude among my bucks at Whitetail Rack Ranch. A little more aggression and paying a little more attention to does in the other pens. They must be starting to think about what's coming up!! Our Captain Crunch will immediately go into solitary confinement when he sheds velvet. When I'm feeding him cookies I'm beginning to see the tendency for him to roll those eyes! He doesn't like me touching his antlers anymore. They are a little more aloof and not quite as good buddies now. We'll be cutting antlers off before long. Sad not to be able to watch them in their glory this winter.

EHD Treatment with Dexamethasone

I've had a few EHD cases. Having good luck with Dexamethasone. I had it compounded to 12mg/ml. I can give a strong 24mg dose in a 2cc dart. In my opinion most people I know using Dexamethasone aren't hitting them hard enough. I discussed dosage with my vet and that's what has been working for us. I can shoot dex once and usually see improvement the next day. Talk to your vet about dosages and compounding. Be sure to give it with an antibiotic. It's been a miracle drug for me. I may give dex for several days if necessary but I'll give a bump of the antibiotics a few days after the initial dose.

Cattle Rubs for EHD control on Deer

If you get Deer Tracking Magazine I wrote an article for the summer 2012 edition.  It's on using cattle rubs for insect control.  I've had amazing results using them since 2009 to repel insects from the animals.   I don't sell the rubs or get a commission.  I'm just giving you free information on a way I've found to reasonably control insects on my deer.  You can view full information on how to use them, where to get them and how they work.  Check my Facebook Notes on Charles DeerMan Black at the following link to see more.
https://www.facebook.com/deermancharlesblack#!/notes/charles-deerman-black/ehd-solution-cattle-rubs-for-deer-insect-control/282328211856247

X-Factor and Friends July 1, 2012

X-Factor is growing much bigger this year.  If he can carry his antlers without damaging them he should easily break is 580" record from last year.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Follow us on Facebook to see more at https://www.facebook.com/XFactorDeer